If you are Spanish resident and importing a vehicle into Spain, be aware that you must register it with the local authorities in the Spanish province where you are resident: the local provincial traffic department (Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico), this will grant you permission to drive your foreign plated car through the Spanish territory.

1. You must have owned your car for at least 6 months prior the import into Spain.

2. You must have paid VAT in your country of origin, otherwise this tax shall be paid in Spain.

3. A special registration tax (impuesto municipal sobre circulación de vehículos) must be paid in Spain. This tax is calculated on the vehicle's current value (based on the original market price in Spain). The imported car that EU residents had owned for at least 6 months in Spain is not subject to this tax.

4. You must obtain a certificate of non-residence from your home country.

Taxes On Importing Vehicle

VAT ( IVA) at 16 per cent on cars imported from outside the EU or on a tax-free car (on which VAT hasn’t previously been paid) imported from an EU country;

a registration tax ( impuesto sobre circulación de vehículos) of 12 per cent (11 per cent in the Canaries) on petrol-engined vehicles with a capacity of over 1,600cc, four-wheel drive vehicles and diesel-engined vehicles over 2,000cc, and of 7 per cent (6 per cent in the Canaries) on vehicles with smaller engines. However, residents coming to live permanently in Spain and importing a car on which they’ve previously paid VAT and which they’ve owned for at least six months are exempt. An application for exemption must be made within a month of the date of issue of your residence permit, and you must present a certificate of non-residence ( certificado de baja de residencia) from the country you’re leaving.

import duty of 10 per cent on vehicles imported from outside the EU unless you’re a resident.

Import Regulations - EU Citizens

Non-residents of Spain resident in another EU country can bring a vehicle registered in another EU country to Spain and can use it (for up to 182 days per year) without paying Spanish taxes. The vehicle must be legal in its country of registration, meaning that it must be inspected (for roadworthiness) as appropriate and taxed there.